New Year, Old Yew

Last year I wrote a post railing against advertisers using the phrase “New Year, New You” so I won’t rant about it again as while I’m the same me as last year that doesn’t mean I need to be repetitive. However there is a delightful irony around the fact that my first leisure walk of the new year was to see an old yew. Maybe next year I’ll find an elderly ewe to visit, ha ha.

In my last post I mentioned how it can sometimes be tricky to resist the urge to hibernate and while I haven’t entirely resisted – I am literally curled up in an armchair under a snuggly blanket as I type this – I have still been out for walks but they have mostly been part of my commute or short walks, there have not been very many longer walks for pleasure. There have been a couple of reasons for this, partly being busy at work so using the weekends to simply collapse, but also if we did fancy a walk the weather gods were often against us sending us storms with a variety of names or simply rain ensuring our favourite routes would be too boggy to be enjoyable.

However last week the forecasters promised us a beautiful winter’s day, clear blue skies and only a light breeze so while there was a chill in the air as long as you were suitably attired you would be fine. After so many grey, windy & rainy days I was keen for us to make the most of this rare treat and thankfully we now have an option which means we no longer have to worry about muddy fields. The new cycle path that my crazy partner uses for his commutes to work is actually a shared space and is wide enough to be enjoyed by cyclists and walkers. The path is set-back from the main road and means we can still enjoy beautiful views of the countryside without worrying about getting stuck in the mud. This path also provides access to a couple of rather lovely, country pubs. In the summer we had tested the path out and ended up extending the walk to include two pub stops, however as this was a January walk I suggested we make it a shorter one – partly because we were out of the habit of walking as much but mainly because of the limited hours of daylight.

The pub we were aiming for is the Long Man Inn which is definitely worth a visit. It’s a lovely, proper country pub with local art on the walls inspired by the chalk Long Man which is situated nearby. On tap you’ll find beers from the local brewery which is also called Long Man – yes we really do love that guy! Sussex is home to some amazing breweries but this is definitely one of my favourites and while I love their Best Bitter on a cold winter’s day it has to be a warming pint of the Old Man. But I digress as the point of mentioning the pub was to say that once I realised that would be our destination I was reminded of the fact that I had recently discovered that the Wilmington Yew was just a short stroll away from this pub so naturally I insisted that before we warm up with a pint (and a packet of crisps please) we needed to make a detour to see the tree.

As mentioned I had only recently discovered that this tree existed even though I’ve lived in Sussex all my life. I love the fact that even after all this time I can still make discoveries about my local area, especially when those discoveries are ones that can be explored on foot. Anyway back to the tree, so it turns out that while it is a new yew to me it is actually an extremely old one as it is estimated to be 1600 years old! The tree is in a churchyard and is supported by wooden posts which were installed in 2019. For this first visit it was a brief hello as we were chilly & the pub looked so inviting however it was astounding to think that this tree had been here since the year 425 – or thereabouts. And you know what? I bet this beautiful yew tree never wasted a single second thinking about reinventing itself simply because it was January. It focuses on surviving and continues to be its same wonderful self, of course it has changed over the years and now it does need supports but who wouldn’t at 1600 years old!

The tree continues to evolve, adapt and grow but it is still the same tree and this is why that I’m glad that my first walk of 2025 was to visit this splendid yew tree. I’m sure this will be the first of many visits and I look forward to seeing it in warmer weather but I think I’m going to make this a new year tradition. Forget New Year, New You I intend to mark each new year with a trip to see an old yew, to remind me that new isn’t always better and having the opportunity to age is a privilege.

That’s how I stroll.